California ARB grants Level 2 verification for ESW diesel catalyst

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has verified the “Particulate Reactor™” emission control device manufactured by Telford, PA-based Environmental Solutions Worldwide (ESW). The Particulate Reactor™ was verified as a “Level 2” device, achieving at least 50% reduction in diesel PM emissions. The verification is valid for 1991 through 1993 model year diesel engines used in on-road applications operating on standard CARB diesel fuel.

The Particulate Reactor™ system employs a catalyzed wire mesh substrate to achieve PM emission reductions that are higher than those in typical diesel oxidation catalysts, but lower than those in particulate filters. As such, the device can be considered either a highly effective diesel oxidation catalyst, or a low efficiency diesel particulate filter. Just like in a particulate filter, the collected particulates must be thermally regenerated. The device can be used in applications which have a duty cycle with an average exhaust temperature profile greater than 300°C for at least 7% of the operating cycle.

This is the first Level 2 verification for a diesel oxidation catalyst/particulate filter type of system (the only other Level 2 verification was granted for the Lubrizol’s PuriNOx water-fuel emulsion). Other ARB-verified devices are designated as either Level 1 (25% PM reduction—mostly diesel oxidation catalysts) or Level 3 (85% PM reduction—high efficiency particulate filters).

The Particulate Reactor device will be available through Fleetguard Emission Solutions (FES), who signed an exclusive marketing and distribution agreement with ESW.

Wire mesh particulate filter substrates were investigated in the past, but were abandoned due to, among other reasons, lower PM filtration efficiency than that seen in wall-flow substrates. In recent years there has been renewed interest in various types of low efficiency—but also lower cost—PM filters, which are sometimes referred to as “particle oxidation catalysts” (POC). One of the first market opportunities for these devices was created by the ARB with the introduction of “Level 2” verification category of 50% PM reduction requirement.